


C8H11NO2

by saruma_aki



Series: Elements and Chemicals [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Hurt, M/M, Multi, Odin's A+ Parenting, Odin's Bad Parenting, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-19 08:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7352842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saruma_aki/pseuds/saruma_aki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There aren't many things Loki asks of the Norns, but on the rare occasions he does, he wishes his brother didn't date women who ultimately lacked any common sense whatsoever. If only Jane hadn't stuck her nose where it wasn't needed, maybe they wouldn't be on Svartalfheim about to fight Dark Elves and risking their lives once more before Friday.</p><p>He honestly wondered if moving to Midgard was truly the brightest idea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter o1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I'm finally back with the fourth edition to Elements and Chemicals!
> 
> I struggled so much with this one. I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do, whether it would be based off a movie with some canon divergence (like the third edition) or if it would be completely AU (like the first and second editions). 
> 
> But, here I am with another edition--the fourth--with an elated smile because I finally got through it. Inspiration came in the form of some brilliant music I had recently found, some by Hidden Citizens and others by many different artists.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this edition. I worked hard on it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights to their respective owners.
> 
> P.S.
> 
> As usual, this is unbeta'd. Sorry about that. I tried my best.

Things were different nowadays. Things were quiet and not at all as rambunctious as they used to be. The halls weren’t as loud in the building, the people less enthusiastic to get to work except for a handful of them. He accepted the quiet, though, accepted the stillness—expected it, even.

Dragging himself through quiet halls bathed in artificial light, fingertips trailing along the white surface, he accepted the change.

The second you stepped out of those doors, though, the noise came flooding back, washed over him—overwhelming, in a way. He continued on, though, fingers flicking as he made his way to where the man was, sitting silently, legs astride, one leg keeping his vehicle up.

“Did you wait long?” he called, approaching with long strides as squinting blue eyes looked up at him, away from the sun, and a smile broke out on his face.

“Not at all; you ready to go?”

He swung his leg over the seat of the motorcycle, pressing along the man’s back. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” he responded and the man laughed as he revved the engine and took off.

 

 

 

 

Part of the problem with him was probably that after getting his pin in the AA, he lost all willingness to do anything at all other than work. He’d work day and night—and that wasn’t anything new. However, what was new was that when he surfaced after a week of not eating or sleeping or drinking anything but warm water and cold coffee, plus whatever smoothie Dum-E concocted, it would be to shower, take a one hour nap, and then be back down in the lab working.

_“Sir, it is imperative that you rest right now. Your blood sugar levels are low and Dum-E put motor oil in your smoothie again. He must re-make it.”_

There’s a whirring from the other side of the room and Tony’s heart grows warm at the thought of all his AI’s working hard to keep him happy and alive for no other reason than they want to—most of them were sentient now anyway.

“Do I have to?”

_“At least put the blow torch down—we don’t need another fire,”_ was the drawled response and Tony saluted mockingly with a toothy grin, setting down his blow torch and bouncing over to grab a wrench and get going on a simpler, less dangerous project, but as a wave of fatigue suddenly crashed over him, he ended up stumbling to the couch on the side, barely managing to avoid dropping the wrench on his foot.

Collapsing on the couch in exhaustion, he blinked blearily at the ceiling, before rolling over and passing out nearly instantly.

 

 

 

 

 

“Agent Romanov,” Director Fury greeted tone flat and formal. She looked at him, her eyes narrowed, brow furrowed in confusion.

“Why did you call me?”

“There’s a new mission I need you to carry out,” was the simple response. She frowned even harder, jaw clenching, fingers twitching imperceptibly, her skin crawling with some foreign itch. It was making her uneasy.

“What is it?”

 

 

 

 

 

“What was it like?” The male before him asked, looking up from where he was painting to gaze at the blue being before him, naked except for the delicate fall of the white sheet covering his lower extremities. “Asgard, I mean,” he clarified at the confused look he received.

A slow smile stretched along the male’s face and Steve felt a little warm in his chest at the sight. It was a small smile, just a slight upturn of the corners of his lips, but those pale red eyes look sweet and nostalgic, though there was an underlying pain to it all.

“It was golden; everything was made out of gold, even poor houses made out of wood and stone were covered in the materials most closely resembling the color even if they lacked the shine of it.”

Steve frowned, lips pulling into a grimace as he mixed a bit of the colors on a separate palette to make the red he needed for the eyes. “That doesn’t sound very appealing.”

“But it was, to those of Asgard, at least. It symbolized the power of the kingdom, outshining all the other realms,” Loki whispered, voice hushed despite the silence in the room. “That was the main goal of Asgard—to aid and dominate. It’s a way my brother lives most true to.”

The words gave Steve pause and he set down his art tools, slowly rising and walking over to Loki, sitting next to him on the couch the male was on and breathing slowly out through his nose. “Tell me if I’m overstepping some boundaries or something, but,” he watched silently as Loki’s skin reverted to the more common pale hue, eyes changing to the luminescent emerald, “Thor doesn’t seem like a very—to put it bluntly—good brother.”

Steve watched as the raven’s expression darkened and Steve feared he had managed to piss off the god, but then it cleared and the male looked mostly resigned.

“Indeed, he is not. However, he is the one I grew up with and the only one who ever conversed with me during my years in Asgard for reasons other than to bully me,” Loki murmured and Steve cringed, eyebrows pulling tight in the center, “even if he was one himself the majority of the time.”

“I don’t like bullies,” Steve muttered, distaste clear on his face and Loki laughed, light and carefree, a sound that surprisingly Loki could still emit despite his less than friendly past.

“I’m still here, though, and he is good at heart—hardly ever realizes when he does something wrong. It brings to question whether someone is truly a bully if they don’t even know they’re doing anything wrong.”

Steve opened his mouth to protest, but Loki calmed him with a look, shifting and swinging one leg over Steve’s, straddling his waist, blanket left where he had been formerly sitting and he could feel every inch of the coolness of Loki’s body. The ice that traveled the man’s veins wouldn’t harm Steve in this form, but it was fascinating how the pale skin was still so cool—always pleasantly cool, like sweet blessed relief.

“You must remember mannerisms in Asgard also tend to be different. I was a mage—that alone got me ostracized; I looked nothing like the family I was supposed to be a part of, yet another factor; I was too skinny and too pretty to be a warrior or even be considered properly male. It’s like this realm’s old times where women were oppressed and men had certain roles to fill.”

Steve nodded his head, paint covered hands resting on Loki’s hips unconsciously as he stared up into viridian orbs, a frown still etched silently onto his face.

“I still don’t like bullies.”

Loki smiled sadly, tilting Steve’s head up and pressing a soft kiss to his temple. “No one does, love.”

 

 

 

 

 

“I want to talk to Thor,” Jane called as she stormed in through the elevator doors of the newly pinned Avengers Tower. Tony was lounging on the couch, nursing a cup of coffee with Loki and Steve both sprawled next to him. Bruce was in his room meditating. Apparently a project he had been working on with Tony had gone sour and he needed to relax. Natasha and Clint were off on a mission assigned by Director Fury and it had left Loki antsy.

He trusted the two lovely agents to be able to handle themselves, but Loki was eager for them to come home so that they could sit and start on the second season of Game of Thrones, a show he had recently been introduced to.

The raven raised his head, looking over and Tony swung his leg over Loki’s while Steve wrapped his arm around the god’s shoulders, effectively keeping the man on the couch and leaving them indisposed to move as well, showing how little they really cared for what she wanted.

Tony didn’t know the whole story, not in Loki’s inner circle, though the god had been opening up to him more, but he knew none of them liked Jane. She was smart and pretty, but that was about her only saving grace in Tony’s book. She was the kind of girl Tony would have only said about two lines to and gotten them into bed with him when he was desperate for a quick fix and alcohol wasn’t cutting it.

That was old Tony, though.

“He’s not here, Lady Foster,” Loki muttered, drawing in a long sip of coffee. “If you want to leave a message, we’ll deliver it to him when he gets back.”

“Where is he?” she bit out, stalking the couch. Tony’s brow furrowed, but he watched as Loki’s eyes drank her in, analyzing before they narrowed in suspicion. Nudging the two males off of him, he rose from his seat, cup placed on the coffee table.

“There’s something off about you,” he whispered, voice low and hush like he was revealing some big secret. She shifted uncomfortably and his gaze widened as green swirls shuttered around him, sparking and shifting, almost violently. “Why do you have that in you?”

“What are you talking about?” Jane scoffed, but from the way her eyes shifted about, the way her fingers twitched and sweat beaded her hairline, she knew something was wrong with her. That was why she was looking for Thor.

“Why do you have that in you?” Loki hissed again and there was something different about him, about the power starting to roar around him. It was stronger than before, than it had been on the battlefield against Amora. Tony had felt that magic first hand with Loki clutched in his arms. He knew this was stronger and—hotter.

It was like someone had cranked up the heat and he was melting. Steve was tense next to him. There was something going on.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie to me, girl,” Loki hissed and that was when Tony saw the orange igniting Loki’s raven mane, the way the skin of his hands was peeling just slightly.

“Loki, you need to calm down,” he heard Steve say, saw him slowly rise from the couch, though he didn’t move closer to Loki. “Relax,” he soothed and maybe it was the lowness of that tone or the way that Steve was just talking, not pressuring with actions or anything, that had Loki taking in a shuddering breath and green aura diminished, tendrils of green focusing on the skin of his hands, soothing the blistered skin. The red disappeared from his hair, as well, returning the color to its inky blackness.

“I don’t know what is wrong with you, but I want to talk to Thor.”

“What you want isn’t important, Lady Foster,” the raven muttered, tone venomous, the last of his seidr diminishing from its former visible state. “What you have inside you is dangerous. You are the last person who should have it inside them; you are not capable enough to control it.” The mage sighed, rubbing a newly healed hand over his face before snapping his fingers, watching emotionlessly as the girl dropped.

“Loki,” Tony cried out, finally snapping out of his stupor and tensing slightly as he looked down at the fallen body of the girl. “She could have knocked the table over. Be careful.”

Loki’s laugh warmed his chest.

 

 

 

 

 

“Agent Romanov, Agent Barton,” Loki greeted as he appeared next to the two agents who were ducked behind a crumbling wall, Clint with a arrow drawn and Natasha re-loading a gun. They both pointed their weapons at him in shock, but both relaxed at the sight of him.

“Agent U235,” Natasha muttered, her voice coming out as a rush of breath, her chest heaving. “What are you doing here?”

“We have a situation. I require your help.”

“With what?” Clint asked, jerking up and firing an arrow through a hole in the wall, plugging his ears at the following explosion that followed. Clint enjoyed his exploding arrows and Tony was fiercely proud of the upgrades he had made to them.

“I’ll explain when we get back. Did you get what you needed from them?”

The two nodded.

“Right, then; get down.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Agent U235,” Director Fury greeted, the look in his eye questioning, though his face was expressionless. Loki shoved the woman in front of him forward into the room with a shock of seidr, not daring to apply more and being careful not to touch her. He did not know the magnitude the damage of the repercussion would cause and how life threatening it could be. “Why have you brought Jane Foster before me?”

“I must first warn you not to touch her. For your own safety, I’d suggest even staying away from her.”

Loki walked in, rest of the Avengers filing in behind him, minus Thor who he assumed was probably an honorary Avenger despite never having been invited or even searched for.

“Will you explain what is going on?”

“Of course,” Loki murmured, directing Jane in the direction of a chair with walls of seidr she didn’t dare to touch as they appeared to crackle with electricity. Despite having such foreign and strong power inside of her, her mind still didn’t allow her to touch for fear of electrocution. “Sit, Lady Foster. You are of no use currently.”

“Or ever,” Clint supplied helpfully and Natasha smacked him lightly on the back, hiding the smile that threatened to break out on her face. “Outside of the lab, I mean,” the blonde clarified, though going by the smile on his face, he didn’t really mean it. The blond didn’t like Erik Selvig and the connection Jane had to the older man made him automatically dislike her. The fact that she was ‘dating’ Thor, if you could even call it that, just made him dislike her all the more.

“Explanation, now,” Director Fury instructed, frustration becoming clear.

“Right away, Director,” Loki hastened to comply, the Avengers taking their seats while Loki remained standing. “It seems Lady Foster has once more stuck her nose where it needn’t be sticking,” he half snarled, casting a disapproving look at her.

“What did she do?”

“She has a power inside of her not of this realm.”

“What realm is it from?”

“I am afraid I know not.” Moving around the table, he cast his gaze out the window worriedly. “I am afraid, though, that it is quite dangerous. I have my suspicions as to what it is, but I need confirmation. I can’t, though I would like to, just make the assumption and run with it. If I am wrong, the results could be catastrophic.”

Director Fury crossed his arms, brow furrowing and jaw clenching. “What are saying here, Agent?”

“I am saying this might require a trip back to Asgard.”

It was as if the words physically pained him to say as he hunched in on himself slightly, lips twisting into a frown, brow furrowed. There was a slight tick in the muscle of his jaw and his arms were crossed over his chest, posture like that of a tightly coiled spring.

“Is this really so bad you’re willing to go back?” Steve asked, leaning forward in his seat, eyes expressing his concern. Tony looked equally as concerned as everyone else despite not knowing the full story. Jane mainly looked annoyed and slightly excited, if Loki was reading her expressions right, that is.

“Unfortunately,” he muttered, casting another wary look out the window. “If I am right, then this could pose to be a threat in and of itself, but it might also bring an even larger threat with it.”

“Is that why you’re so nervous?”

“It’s too close to the convergence. There is no worse a time this could have happened. We must act fast.” Loki spun on his heel, facing Fury with a hard expression, looking about ready to fight tooth and nail to get what he wanted and that was an expression that didn’t bode well for any of them. That meant this was serious. That meant trouble.

It spelled war.

“Do I have permission to take the Avengers and Lady Foster to Asgard and potentially another realm in order to get this solved?”

“Can you promise they’ll come back alive?”

“No one can ever promise that.”

Director Fury gave a small smirk in response before nodding, his serious expression falling into place once more. “You have permission, but if something shows up on earth—”

“—I will help clean it up after.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Loki, you can’t be serious,” Natasha hissed as they walked out of the headquarters, Jane in tow. Boarding the Quinjet, Loki sighed, rubbing his hands over his face, clearly just as upset as Natasha. “You can’t possibly think it’s a good idea to return to those people after everything.”

“I don’t, Nat, I don’t,” the raven sighed, slumping in his seat next to Clint, Natasha standing above him while Clint sat at the controls. Jane was sat in the back, strapped in while Steve and Tony lurked just behind the controls, behind Natasha, both keeping an observant eye on the scientist sitting behind them. Tony was typing away on his phone at the same time, probably texting the only Avenger that hadn’t been with them for the meeting. Bruce had considered it best if he didn’t go in case things got ‘rowdy’.

“Then why are you doing it?”

“Can you think of a better plan?” the god hissed, fingers running through his hair as he slumped even further down. “If I had the time, maybe I could come up with something that would prevent this—but if I am right, then we don’t have time to spare. I can’t take that risk. This puts the lives of every realm at stake, not just hers and not just ours.”

“What do you think it is?”

“It is called the Aether and in the wrong hands, it is a weapon of mass destruction—not unlike your nuclear warfare, but enough to plunge all the realms into darkness if it’s wielded correctly.”

“So, you’re talking lights out, no chance of survival?”

Loki looked up, expression grave and slowly nodded his head. “If I am right and this gets into the wrong hands, then yes; that is exactly what I’m talking about.”

 

 

 

 

 

When they got back to the tower, Thor was there on the landing pad waiting for them, expression confused. Slowly getting off the ship, Jane trailing behind the group, they stopped to stand in front f him. Loki could see Bruce’s form through the windows, watching them silently, though he waved a bit when he realized them looking.

“Where have you all been?”

“Thor,” Jane gasped, her expression becoming elated in a heartbeat and Loki pretended the equally happy expression that appeared on the god’s face didn’t burn him on the inside. She took a step forward, but Steve was quickly in front of her, halting her movement with his shield raised imposingly in front of her body.

“What part of do not go near anyone do you not understand?” Loki found himself muttering under his breath, expression clearly annoyed as he walked around the good captain, whispering his thanks as he turned to face the blonde oaf he had called a brother for so many years.

“Loki, what is the meaning of this?”

“Your Lady Foster is in possession of a power that is not her own.”

Thor frowned, the sky darkening slightly, stray clouds blending together to make larger ones. “What do you speak of, brother?”

Loki tilted his head to the side, looked at his brother with an analytic eye. “How often did you pay attention in lessons?”

“Loki,” the blonde growled warningly, his hand twitching to the hammer strapped to his belt. He swore he could see Mjolnir move slightly in response and the sight made him wary, but he wasn’t stopping. His brother’s temper didn’t scare him but after the incident when he had last gone into a berserker rage, Loki wasn’t looking for a repeat any time soon.

“Do you remember the Aether, Thor? How the Dark Elves searched and searched for it? Do you remember the damage and pain it brought?” He took a few steps forward, slow and analyzing, unsure of how his brother would respond. He could see every twitch in his brother’s facial muscles, the slightest shift of muscles or breathing. He watched the posture his brother held himself in, the way he shifted in his stance, the way he slowly swayed from one foot to the other, seemingly unsure of how to hold himself.

Finally, the blonde settled, feet spread shoulder width apart, his hammer now in his hand, though he didn’t appear to be threatening in any form. It was more like a security blanket.

“Do you mean to tell me that Jane possesses the Aether?”

“Well, more like the Aether is possessing her, but you get the picture,” Clint butt in, a smirk playing on his lips and he grunted when Natasha smacked him again, though Steve let out a light snort of amusement.

“I believe so. We must go to Asgard to know for certain, but with that power and that it lashes out at anyone who touches her, threatens her; I can think of nothing else it could be.”

“But how did she get to it? It was hidden; no one knows where it is.”

“I suspect by accident. Clearly she doesn’t understand the concept of ‘butting out’,” Loki drawled, smirking at the way he could practically see the male’s anger rising. It wouldn’t effect Thor for long, not in this form of childish jabs at the one he claimed to love this time—like the many other in their past.

“Mind your tongue, brother. You have no right to speak of those above you.”

Loki flinched as if stricken, felt the familiar sense of hurt flood his veins and make him want to hide in the safety and solitude of his bedroom. He felt Natasha’s hand on the small of his back, a tether to the world around him and to his family, his new family.

“I’m sorry, but aren’t you both princes of Asgard or did I mishear?” Tony was frowning, stepping forward and it made Loki warm inside to know that despite not having told the male everything—or anything much, really—he was still sticking up for him.

Thor looked momentarily perplexed before the expression cleared. “Yes, we are.”

“And your rank is higher than Jane’s?”

Thor frowned. “Well, yes, it does by Asgard’s standards.”

“Then doesn’t that mean that Loki here is not beneath Jane?”

Thor paused and Loki watched as he thought the words over. “You are correct, Man of Iron; I misspoke.”

“Yeah, probably have been for years,” Tony muttered, striding past Thor, ignoring the frown shot at him from the blonde and the muttered ‘what do you mean to imply with that’ as he headed to the door on the landing plane. “Would anyone else care to talk about this inside?”

 

 

 

The sight of the Bifrost was a sight Loki had wished he would never see again. He had wished he would never have to see the golden palace it led to nor the people of the kingdom inside of it, much less the people in the palace.

“My prince,” Heimdall greeted, nodding his head to Thor who replied in kind, expression grim. “I see your manners haven’t improved, Silver Tongue. Still have no luck with the ladies?”

Loki sneered at the man, barely managing to keep himself calm enough so that the two agents who stood on either side of him wouldn’t lunge like attack dogs of some sort. “Not really my area of expertise,” Loki replied. “The women here have always been too soft; same goes for the men.”

Letting the Avengers go before him, trying not to roll his eyes fondly as he watched Bruce and Tony eagerly begin to discuss the science of the Bifrost while they walked while Steve attempted to follow the conversation with an adorably confused expression before simply giving up.

Clint and Natasha stuck close; walking on either side of Jane who was surrounded by walls of seidr which would hopefully contain at least some of the blast should she be touched. Steve walked in front of her, shield strapped to his arm securely.

Tony had his suitcase version of his suit with him, happily modified after the events with Amora. The whole thing with Amora had been a nightmare, honestly, but Loki knew Tony was still suffering from the after effects, sleepless nights plagued with nightmares, every waking moment a question of when the threat would reach them.

He wished he could do more to help the small genius.

The walk along the Bifrost was slow going, Jane wanting to observe, but they were short on time and running even shorter on patience, though both facts seemed to fall on deaf ears for both Thor and Jane.

By the time they reached the palace doors, Loki was about ready to cut Thor’s tongue out and shove it down Jane’s throat. The situation was serious enough without them seeming to make light of it.

Odd looks met his companions as they were led through the palace doors and into the golden castle, golden walls shining and gold tinted stone floors were cleaned and presentable.

“Isn’t it just as I described, Captain?” Loki finally spoke since they had left Heimdall back at the end of the Bifrost. Steve shot him a wry smile, looking about with observant blue eyes.

“I do believe it is. And it’s just as I told you it would be.”

“I would have to agree on that.”

Tony was frowning where he was walking now, both him and Bruce having stopped conversing after they got off the Bifrost, looking around with a displeased look. “Who are your decorators? I think everyone knows it is a definite fashion no-no to have everything one color.” His nose was crinkled in disdain, lips pulled into a frown and Loki nearly laughed at the sight.

Someone had to say it.

“Asgard is a beacon for other realms, a standard to follow by. It is a warm fire for those stranded out in the cold to come and sit by,” Thor explained and Loki scoffed.

“More like it is a fire for one to burn by.”

Thor halted, turning to glare at Loki past Steve. “You should be careful what you say of our home, brother.”

“ _Your home,”_ the raven corrected, jabbing a finger at the blonde, “never mine.”

The rest of the walk was continued in silence with the odd look from guards stationed, but none of them attempted to do anything, seeing as Thor was leading the bunch. When they arrived at the throne room, it was almost like a blow to the gut and Loki wanted out immediately.

His skin crawled at the sight of Odin sitting on the throne, blissfully ignorant to the turmoil he had caused Loki for years, still not knowing that Loki knew, knew what he was and who was his actual father—knew what Odin had done.

Jane moved forward as directed, the Avengers forming a semi-circle behind her about three paces back from her.

“Are you okay?”

Surprised, Loki looked down at Tony who was staring straight up at the throne stood on, but he cast Loki a side glance.

“I am fine. Why do you ask?”

“Even Fury was hesitant to let you come back here. I’m guessing it doesn’t have fond memories of yours.” Tony glanced around before turning to look at Loki once more. “Especially with this décor; it’s god awful.”

Loki heard Steve snort from where he stood next to Bruce, shooting them a small grin. Loki shook his head with a small, fond smile, letting his hand bump Tony’s gently.

“It doesn’t, but I can deal.”

“Thor, my son,” Odin boomed, rising from his throne and Thor grinned, taking a few steps forward. The throne room was empty apart from them, so Thor didn’t hesitate to climb up the steps to give his father a hug. Frigga stood next the throne and she received a hug as well, her eyes warm and smile bright, but soft. “Who are your companions?”

“These are the warriors of Midgard,” Thor introduced with a bright grin that Loki always remembered being around whenever the blonde was in Odin’s company. Who wouldn’t be so happy when the king of the realm practically kissed his feet? “And that is the lovely Jane Foster,” Thor motioned and moved as if to walk towards her and Loki’s magic automatically responded, shooting up barriers around the scientist.

“It would do you well, Thor, to abstain from touching what you should not.”

He heard the shuddered gasp, so familiar in many ways. The sound hadn’t changed since the days of long ago when he would run to his bother covered in scrapes and bruises because Thor’s friends were being mean even though she insisted they were just playing.

“Loki,” she breathed and Loki felt Natasha’s hand in his and Clint immediately came to stand close, placing a hand on his shoulder, both ready to protect and comfort should they need to.

“Queen Frigga,” he bowed, making his tone as detached as possible, “King Odin; how nice to make your acquaintance once more.”


	2. Chapter o2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter, guys! Don't kill me, okay? There is a rhyme and reason for everything I do, I swear.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the final chapter of the fourth edition!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights to their respective owners.
> 
> P.S.
> 
> As per usual, this is unbeta'd. So sorry about that, but I tried my best.

They sat in the room provided, having all insisted on occupying only one room. Everyone could apparently feel the tension in the atmosphere and Natasha and Clint would have undoubtedly ended up in Loki’s room. Steve, as well, since he knew the whole story, and when Loki thought about it Tony and Bruce would have joined them as well.

Both Bruce and Tony had battled depression, the want to just disappear, to put a permanent end to the pain. They probably knew the signs. Tony who had dealt with a father like Odin and Bruce who had as many conflicts with his Hulk form as Loki had with his Jotun form thanks to Odin. They had a lot in common, in all honesty.

“So you were right,” Bruce spoke after minutes of silence. Loki nodded his head solemnly, looking down at the silk be spread beneath him with a sort of fascination. It felt kind of like his world was crashing around him but he didn’t notice. “What now?”

“We find out how to get it out of her,” Loki responded, fingers idly picking at the sheets until Natasha took his hand to stop him.

It was nice sitting like this, all of their beds shoved together in the center of the room, melded together with a bit of seidr. They had grown close since the attack from Amora and Loki held every single one of them dear in his heart, even though he hadn’t let Tony and Bruce in as much as the rest.

He would, though. After this, he knew for a fact he would.

Those two had been through so much; Loki wondered if having someone else close to them who had gone through similar things, had shared experience, would make them feel better, or at least more comfortable.

“Get some rest, all of you. I’m sure I’ll have come up with something by morning,” he murmured, lying back into the mattress. Taking in a shuddering breath, he tried to calm his mind enough to think. The Aether had been put in a safeguard; how Jane got to it was a mystery even to her, a fact that was severely annoying to all of them. All she had said is that she had gone to a location where these people said that the laws of science were all out of order, like they didn’t apply.

Why she had been stupid enough to wander around a place like that was beyond him.

Aside from her scientific intellect, she didn’t strike him as the brightest girl he had ever met.

“Why didn’t Odin tell us the prophecy?”

Loki’s eyes fluttered open to turn and look at Clint who was toying with one of his arrows, biting his lip contemplatively. “He’s always withheld information like that. I think he has a thing for the power it gives. That’s why I used read so much.”

“You said you had read every book in Asgard’s library before you left.”

Loki smiled, nodding his head. “That I did.”

The night was filled with restlessness. None of them slept until Loki silently cast a light dreamless spell on them, one he had used on himself many a time when he struggled with finding sleep. Come morning, they were all well rested, though maybe not in high spirits.

They all grumbled as they untangled themselves from the bunch they had been in when they had awoken in, a tangle of limbs in the center of their conjoined beds with Steve silently suffering at the bottom and Tony casually lounging on the top.

They ate breakfast silently in the dining hall with Odin, Frigga, Thor, and Jane. There were more guards and healers stationed at the walls than usual and Loki suspected it had to do with Jane.

“What do you plan to do, father?” Thor asked, shoving a piece of boar meat into his mouth. If there was something to be said about the people of Asgard it was that they did not believe in a light breakfast. Every meal contained a slain creature of some sort.

Odin frowned, tearing into his own meat with a contemplative look. “Raise the defenses. No one is to leave the palace grounds, the mortal girl especially. She’ll be under strict surveillance at all times.”

“Are you anticipating an attack?” Frigga asked softly, looking at her husband questioningly.

Odin sighed, expression grave. “Maybe…”

 

 

 

 

Turns out Odin was right and Loki barely paid it any mind as he quickly drive a dagger into an invading Dark Elves head, slashing another one’s throat before ducking, flinging the two bodies into an oncoming one.

“Tony, can you hear me?”

“How are you getting signal here?” came the distorted slightly mechanical voice of Tony Stark from his Iron-man suit, sending blasts into the creatures.

“I’m not. My mark is on all of you. Think of it as phone lines you cannot see,” Loki commented, grunting as he just barely dodged a steak through the stomach, spinning and beheading the elf with a foul swoop. “I figured it’d be easier then the comm. in Asgard,” he added. “Anyway, I need you to cover here. I saw one head away and I believe I might have eyes on their leader.”

Tony landed next to him a thump, knocking one of the creatures back with a well aimed blast. “Sure thing,” he spoke and Loki shot his a tired grin before running off, bare feet light on the floors, his boots ditched long ago as he propelled himself over stray elves, cutting them down as he went, daggers gripped tight in blood slick fingers.

“Loki, where are you going?”

Loki skidded to a halt; looking at the hall he just saw the leader reach the end of. “He’s heading to where my mother is, to where Jane is.”

“Who,” Steve asked over the connection, grunting as he probably fought off another elf.

“Malekith,” Loki breathed, brow furrowed as he darted forward, knowing if he wasted too much time, Frigga would be lost.

Searching frantically for where the head Dark Elf had gone, heart beating a frantic tempo in his chest. His teammates were fighting out there, the one family member he was closest to was endangered now; he was back in the poisonous land he had never wanted to return to.

Finding his mother was a relief in many ways; letting his mind settle onto a single goal.

The way he found her, not so much. Circling with Jane trembling in the corner, but Loki could see, could sense it was an illusion, not her really. It was fortunate that Malekith couldn’t until he couldn’t touch her.

And then Frigga was at knife point and Loki wouldn’t have that.

“I love you mother, but you will not give your life for an insolent girl.”

And with that, she was gone.

 

 

 

 

He ran through the streets, fighting back the tears that burned his eyes as he shoved through bodies, the hood of his cloak pulled firmly over his head as he ran, the heavy material thankfully preventing it from being blown off by his movements. He wished he had never been born, never met Thor’s friends, never agreed to play with them just to make his brother happy.

What was Thor’s happiness worth if he was miserable?

Shoving past another person, he jerked as his hand was grabbed, whirling around with only half a mind to look at the face before he hit them. The face gave him pause, though. It was a young man, hardly older than Loki himself, clad in a merchant’s clothes but he had no booth in the town.

“Release me,” Loki hissed, voice barely managing not to waver. He knew his face was hidden in the shadows his cloak provided, but he was glaring at the man with wet eyes.

“You smell of distress.”

“And you smell of the horses, now let me go.”

The man smiled as if in amusement and Loki bristled. “Why don’t you show that pretty face of yours?”

“Don’t call me pretty. For all you know, I could be a hag under this.”

The man sidled closer, slipping an arm around Loki’s waist, pressing close. “Why don’t you show me different?” he breathed, breath hot when it fanned across Loki’s face and he nearly gagged, felt the tears burn in his eyes once more because he just finished saying he didn’t want to screw female whore. He didn’t want to screw a male one either.

“I don’t need to,” he hissed, jerking away and snatching out his pouch from his pocket, dropping a few coins in the man’s hand. “Now leave me be.”

He reached the castle in tears, the wetness streaking down his cheeks as he stormed through the halls under the safety of his cloak, bolting to his room and slamming the door shut, his seidr reinforcing the locks as he shed his clothe and silently drifted to his bath.

The tears still fell as he bathed and continued to wrack his body as he shuddered in his bed, lying nude under the sheets.

How he wished he could call Frigga in, let her hold him in her arms, listen to her heart beat evenly in her chest as she whispered soothing words to him, but he couldn’t. She’d probably be just as ashamed as Odin would be when he found out Loki had refused the gift his father had so graciously granted Thor and his friends and himself.

A free ticket to losing their virginity; what a gift, Loki thought bitterly.

He wanted his mother, he missed his mother.

He nearly bit through his lip as he tried to stifle his sobs, burying his face in the pillow.

 

 

 

 

His arms wrapped around Natasha’s and Clint’s shoulders, pulling them in tight, separating after a few moments so that he could draw in Tony and a de-Hulked Bruce into a hug and then Steve.

“I am relieved you are all fine.”

He looked each one of them over, taking in every scratch and bruise, every fleck of dried blood on their skin and their clothing. He took in their weary smiles and warm eyes and prayed to the Norns that no harm come to his precious family.

“Lock the whole kingdom down. No one gets in or out. The Bifrost is off duty, understand?” Odin roared as he stomped into the room. Loki took a step back and motioned for his friends to do the same as Odin stomped past them, spit flying through cracked lips as he stomped into the throne room.

“At once,” the guard responded, turning on his heel and marching out of the room. Into the room following the guards exit were the Warrior Three and Thor, Jane and Frigga coming in right afterwards.

“Father, isn’t this a bit much?”

“An attack was just launched on us and you are questioning me if protecting the land is too much?” Odin spit and Thor flinched back, looking stricken. Loki resisted the urge to stick up for him. The last time he had done that he had gotten struck in the face with his father’s goblet.

He was hardly in the mood for a repeat.

“Did Malekith see your face?” Natasha whispered at his side and Loki looked down at her questioningly but answered anyway with a quiet negative. She nodded her head, her jaw set in a way that told Loki she had a plan or at least part of one. She knew nothing good would come from Odin’s judgment.

Nothing ever really did in Loki’s experience.

Ushering his friends out of the throne room, he halted as he heard his name called. Turning around, he gazed up the Allfather standing at his golden throne in his golden hall in his golden castle, his golden son at his side.

“Put on some actual clothes, Loki. You look like a fool.”

He snorted, pulling o the confidence he had gained from his time on Midgard and the manners he had picked up from them as he gazed at the man before him. “You must be looking at your reflection. The servants certainly do a nice enough job keeping these walls spotless; they’ve got their work cut out for them.”

He turned and walked out, not sparing another glance to any in the room. He was much to strung up for that, nerve endings frayed.

 

 

 

 

The door opened in the bathing chamber, revealing none other than Steve who looked slightly embarrassed to have had to come in. “Care to join me, Captain?” Loki asked from where he was, soaking in warm water up to his chin in the large bath. It was large enough to be a swimming pool, in all honesty.

“No, that’s fine. I just seriously needed to,” he cleared his throat, motioning to the corner where the drain was. Loki nodded his head in comprehension, motioning for the man to do so as he let his eyes flutter shut, enjoying the warmth of the water on his skin.

“You don’t need to be embarrassed about being naked with me, you know.”

Steve jerked from where he was standing, the flow stuttering before continuing. “I’m not embarrassed.”

“Do you think I’ll do something to you?” Loki let his eyes slide over to the male and saw him shake his head, shoulders hunched forward, his back turned. “Come, then. You’re the only one who hasn’t bathed; even Bruce did and you know how shy he is.”

Steve shook himself out, tucking himself back into his pants before turning, going to the basin and washing his hands. “It’s fine.”

“Do I make you uncomfortable?” Loki swam over to the edge, letting his arms rest crossed over the side of the bath and rested his chin on top of them.

“No, no, it’s not that.”

“Then do explain, Steve. I don’t like the thought that I might be doing something to push you away.”

Steve sighed, scrubbing wet hands over his face and then frowning at the grime that came off on them.

“I told you; come on in, if you’d like.”

The blonde sighed, but shed his suit anyway, walking over and hesitantly dipping in. Loki moved over, giving the soldier ample enough room, but the man shifted closer. “Sorry, just, the water,” Steve looked down at the rippling surface and Loki moved closer, slowly and hesitantly. “It reminds me of when I went under. I kept seeing it whenever I considered taking a bath and it seemed creepy to ask someone to take one with me. You just didn’t do that back then, especially not after you were older than eight.”

Loki nodded his head in understanding, reaching over and grabbing the cloth and soap, lathering the cloth with it before sliding closer, rubbing the cloth over the male’s shoulders. “No one here is going to laugh at you, Steve. We all have our problems and we will all help each other through them.” Loki murmured, turning Steve’s face to look at him, gazing into those blue depths seriously. “Do you understand?” Steve nodded and Loki smiled.

 

 

 

 

Natasha’s half formed plan blended beautifully with Thor’s one, both halves melding together.

“If you can get us a ship small enough, I can get us to Svartalfheim. If this plan doesn’t work, though, you do understand we’ll be committing treason, not even your birth right will be lenient enough to spare you from the dungeons, Thor,” Loki hissed, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at his ignorant brother who was prepared to throw everything away for a mortal girl he had only known for a few weeks after claiming to be in love with her after three days.

It was like Romeo and Juliet and despite Shakespeare’s skill with literature; Loki still didn’t understand how the mutual suicides of two teenagers made it be one of the most epic romances in history.

There was nothing epic about this.

“I understand that.”

“Then I do hope you know what you are making us put our lives on the line for.”

“To save Jane’s life,” Thor stated and Loki hissed, jerking forward.

“I do not care for that girl’s life. I care for the safety of the realms and the safety of the people I have already put in danger enough by bringing them to this foul place.” The raven shook with his anger, his hands pressing down into the table. “That is what I am letting us put our lives at stake for, not for some girl who would have been fine if she had kept her nose out.”

Thor stood, thunder booming in response to his anger. “She didn’t know she would be transported.”

“She should have known not to go without surveillance, much less so after everything that has happened down in Midgard. The girl may have a brain for astrophysics, but she is no better than you buffoon when it comes to common sense.”

“Hold your tongue, brother, or I’ll strike you down where you stand.”

Loki smirked, leaning dangerously close. “No, you won’t because in order to save her, you need me to get you to Malekith. So, hold your own tongue, _dearest brother_ , or I’ll let her die. It won’t do me any harm,” he snarled before pushing away from the table, not taking notice to the scorch marks on it as he stomped away. “You have until the shadows are at the center. Do be ready by then.”

 

 

 

 

Natasha cursed as they watched Malekith absorb the Aether, watched him lean into the power, his eyes going black. Loki stood beside her, watching on with a disinterested sort of gaze. He knew it would fail, knew from the start the plan had a small chance of working.

“Well, time for Plan B,” Steve muttered, rolling his shoulders and adjusting his grip on his shield. “Avengers, assemble!”

They all darted forward and what followed next was a fight that Loki wished had never come to fruition. It was one thing to fight against Amora’s creatures, mindless beasts that they were with no skill but plenty of temper. It was a completely different thing to fight against Dark Elves and the Kursed, creatures who bore not only skill and intelligence, but power, as well.

Shockingly enough, the Hulk went down first, crushed under a pile of rubble that had him reverting back to Bruce and Loki only had a second to cast a spell to knock the rocks off his companion before he was once more fighting for his life. Bruce, or rather the Hulk, had at least gotten quite a lot of the remaining Kursed.

The next to go down was Tony, hit by a blow from Malekith himself, a blow from the Aether inside him hitting Tony straight in the chest and he went down, the light of his life flickering dangerously. Steve was out of commission next, not because he was wounded, but because he fought to get himself to Tony, to see what he could do to help.

“Loki, I don’t know what to do. The reactor’s damaged, it’s going to give out any second,” Steve yelled and Loki could see from where he was the way Steve’s hands were hovering, shaking minutely over Tony’s form. The man had opened the suit, but the light in his chest was flickering.

“Catch this and put it over the reactor. It’ll act as a temporary replacement. Don’t move it too much; I can’t do more than that right now,” he called back, flipping a Dark Elf over before pulling a ball of his seidr, wrapping it and morphing it into a ball, tossing it at Steve before he was grabbed around the waist and thrown to the ground.

Leaning left as a fist just missed his face, he twined his legs around the creatures waist, bearing his weight upwards and knocking the elf flat on his back, quickly flipping over the body before whirling around the slamming both daggers into the elf’s chest.

The next to go down was Thor, though not by wound. He fought to get himself close enough to Jane’s unconscious form to drag her from the battlefield and Loki hadn’t seen him since. It was just him and his two agents left; the first editions to his family and just as they did everything, the two went down together.

 

 

 

 

“Do not touch them, you fiend!” He roared, eyes flashing dangerously between his typical luminescent jade green orbs to the pale red of his heritage. His skin slowly turned blue, stretching over his fingers and up his arms, his muscles shifted underneath the fabric of his Midgardian mission suit, the tight Kevlar leather spandex.

He could feel Malekith’s assessing gaze, watched the way his grip tightened on Natasha’s throat. His warrior, the Dark Elf turned Kursed Algrim, had Clint in a headlock, muscles bulging dangerously and Clint was scrabbling against the hold, unable to do anything against the more than inhuman strength in that position despite his training.

The blue settled upon his skin and then sunk in, flushing a darker tint, a royal blue, the raised lines of his family line rising, horns curving from his forehead. His teeth were sharp in his mouth, his nails extending to long ugly black claws.

There was no beauty in battle regardless his form.

He could see Clint’s face purpling where he was held until his movements became weaker and he was released, lying unconscious, the next to go officially down.

A sharp whine caught in his throat, his chest constricting in fear before anger took over and his seidr pulsed inside of him.

Malekith had the Aether now, but he refused to be deterred, refused to step down.

That was his family and if Thor wasn’t going to do anything, Loki would. Foster’s life wasn’t his concern. Tony was lying in on the ground, Steve hovering over him, trying to keep the arc reactor powered despite the blow the brunette had taken to it, the ball of Loki’s seidr he had provided pressed gently over the glowing blue, keeping the shrapnel from moving.

The beast charged, but Loki was far too enraged to care for using finesse. It was the same rage he had borne inside of himself when he fought Amora. The same fire burned through him, lit up inside of him and rushed out. He could feel the power, the rush it was giving him; the overwhelming wave crashing over him, nearly making him lose his footing in surprise.

His magic had never been this strong before.

Ducking under a swipe, pushing himself along the ground, whirling around and leaping backward in time to avoid another fist, he bared his teeth in a growl. He could feel heat hovering around him, inside him, before it exploded outwards, nearly making him scream in pain. And then it was cold, chillingly so, like the winds in Jotunheim, soothing and healing like a balm.

“Loki,” he could hear Natasha cough, still on her knees before Malekith and Loki felt the weakness in the one utterance of his name like a blow to the gut. But there was strength in that word, Natasha’s strength; her firm unwavering power that had always been there for Loki since the day they had met.

Looking at the white flames dancing around his body, lighting up his hair like it was the fire itself, he figured his body must have somehow absorbed Amora’s magic and made it one of its own instead of filtering it out and now her specialty had become a newer version inside him.

One glance at his teammates lying about him, he knew regardless of the consequences, he would be using this power now.

“You will not have them,” he hissed as the beast charged again, but Loki was ready, ducking under the blow and using Natasha’s signature thigh lock around the neck and the strength his seidr and Jotun form provided in more excess than his Asgardian form, he flipped the roaring creature back.

Lashing out with a blade of ice, he pinned the creature if only temporarily to the ground before darting off, his seidr solving itself into one of his favorite forms, a whip, and he lashed it forward, watched it stretch over Malekith’s head, saw the Dark Elf smirk like he had won.

Grinning maliciously, watching it wrap around the ship, tightened his hold on it and with the will power burning through him and a primal roar, sent the white fire along the strand, sent it to burn the hulk, damage it too much to travel.

He saw the beast out of the corner of his eye, saw him charge forward at him, shoulder torn from the stake of ice, but it was like he didn’t feel the pain. Ducking under a blow, he grunted at the blow to the gut that quickly followed, stumbling back a few steps, one of his arms occupied with keeping a hold on the rope of seidr.

The thing roared in his face, the stench of death wafting from the hole and Loki felt instinct take over his response, a ear-splitting roar of rage and pain ripping itself from his throat as he stretched his body, jumping up and locking his legs around the creatures waist, levered himself up and stabbed one of his daggers into the things chest, letting himself fall back, dragging the dagger through the flesh like he was cutting through butter.

“Natasha!”

And it was a sight to behold, even beaten and weak, the way she spun the appearing dagger in her hand and sliced through the arm of the Dark Elf holding her, rolling away fast enough to avoid the repercussions of the action.

Wrapping the rope of seidr tight around his wrist, he gave a powerful yank, heard the metal creak and groan, he heard it whine and sent another wave of flames to it and tugged hard.

It groaned, low and shrill before stuttering and then letting out a sound not unlike nails on a chalkboard as it bent and equipment was shattered. If Loki focused, he could hear the alarm inside, but he didn’t bother. It looked like an obtuse ‘l’ at that point.

Releasing a scream, he pulled one more time, felt and heard the metal give, the way it bent under the force and finally the ship fell, broken in a heap, providing no form of escape for Malekith.

The Dark Elf glared at him, the roaring of the Aether now an actual noise than just singing in his blood like he was sure it was doing. He could see it start to take shape like a whirlwind around the man and he shifted back to his Asgardian form, holstering his daggers and darting forward to grab Clint’s body before it got swept up in the mess, holding him in a fireman’s carry as he took Natasha’s hand and teleported them away a safe distance.

“Do you intend to fight me?” Malekith yelled from where he stood, the Aether slowly spreading like a crimson black wind, covering the wasteland that was Svartalfheim. Loki coughed as dust was kicked up, loose dirt being tossed up by the force of the Aether swirling. “How well do you think you’ll fare?”

“Loki,” Natasha whispered from where she was crouched, Clint’s head in her lap as she stroked his hair gently before she set his head down. “I’m by your side.”

Loki blinked, felt emotion well up in his chest before nodding his head with a small, tight smile. “And I am by yours.” Slowly they both stood up, turning to face the Dark Elf and the whirlwind of the Aether. “If we fail, we all die.”

“Nice thought to go out on,” Natasha responded, a small smirk playing on her full kips.

“Thank you, Nat, for everything.”

She looked at him, fiery red hair, as fiery as he personality, whipping across her face. “Don’t thank me yet.” She turned her gaze to the mess before her with a set jaw, eyes hard. She took his hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. “ _Today is grey skies.”_

Loki squeezed her hand gently, straightening where he stood. “ _Tomorrow is tears.”_

They walked forward, towards the crimson tornado with confidence only fools got at the brink of death.

_“You’ll have to wait till yesterday is here.”_

Stepping into the red, Loki let her hand slip away, giving his first family member a soft look, feeling the backs of his eyes burn as his skin slowly bled the blue of his people.

“What do we say to Death, Black Widow,” Loki called over the roar of the winds around them, staring straight at Malekith with pure contempt.

He could practically hear Natasha’s smirk as she called back, voice hoarse, but strong, “ _not today.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me for the ending, I swear there's a reason!
> 
> I just thought it would at least give me a start on the next edition if I went through the 'boss battle' in flashbacks. Plus, I literally cranked out roughly ten thousand or so words in a day, I was super tired, but I made you guys wait so long already.
> 
> I still think it was a nice ending, though, and who got the Game of Thrones reference? Three was little paragraph on it in the first chapter and that last bit is just a throwback to that.
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope you'll stick around for the next edition. Feel free to leave me kudos if you liked this and comment your thoughts down below, if you'd like. I love hearing what you think.
> 
> Thanks, again!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked that! Do let me know what you think in the comments and kudos are always welcomed and loved.
> 
> The next chapter should be up tomorrow or the day after.
> 
> Till then!
> 
> Feel free to find me on instagram (@saruma_aki); I'd love to talk to you guys (it's mainly fandom posts and all that jazz)


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